ANYONE NEED
A LIFT? THE 5 Ls OF LIFTING
BY JAY GOODMAN
It’s spring cleaning season, which means many of you are cleaning out the clutter and working on your yards. We’re tackling our closets, moving heavy boxes out of storage, and laying down bag after bag of mulch in our flowerbeds, among
are about to lift. Your muscles work more efficiently when closer to the load being lifted. 2. LUNGS: Keep breathing and try not to hold your breath. The rule of thumb is to inhale when you pull an object, and to exhale when you push an object. 3. LUMBAR: Keep your back straight by flexing at your hips before
other chores. All of this means lots of lifting. While it may not
BY TOM PIPER
seem like a big deal in the moment, lots of lifting can lead
A
to awkward movements and repetitive stress in the joints. s a physical therapist, I have treated thousands of patients with low back pain. During my initial examinations, I ask them to squat down as if they had to pick up an object from the floor without giving them any visual or verbal cues to guide them. Almost every patient bends at their knees before hips or simply bends over at their waist first, and I point out that bending at their knees first causes the body to shift forward, increasing the load on the knees and lumbar joints. “But I’ve always been told to bend at the knees,” is the usual response from my patients. We then have a conversation about how to flex at the hips first, like a hinge, and then flex at the knees to lift someone or something safely. Learning how to use the hip muscles to lift will help reduce forces over the back and knees.
THE FIVE Ls OF LIFTING Let’s discuss the five Ls of lifting for proper body mechanics applicable to any lifting situation. 1. LEVERAGE: Simply put, get close to the object or person you 14
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